I suppose this should be in OFF TOPIC. Sorry mods, please move. Part of the display at the Seattle Museum of Flight. I saw these boats run in the 60's. High tech for their day. I lived 12 miles away and could clearly hear the Rolls powered boats during time trials on Saturdays. Most of the Allison boats were turbo'd and not very loud. There is still an Allison boat (with modern hull) that runs the circuit every year and it does pretty damn good considering the company it keeps. It even won a heat race last year on Lake Washington. They used nitrous injection on these boats too. You could tell when they cranked it on by the pouring of black smoke from the exhaust. These engines were run at roughly TWICE their designed RPM range during a race. These boats are put in the water every summer during Seafair at the main races to run some pretty fast parade laps around the same course as the turbine boats. God I wish they had a V12 class again. The turbines are just plain boring, sort of like F1 racing. Years ago I used to see a supercharged Packard(?) boat run at Tri-Cities. The sound used to bring a lump to my throat. They never finished a race because of a failing 3.00 ignition part that was no longer made. Note: The Tempo boat was not a true hydro but a transition boat with smaller "saddle" sponsons. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Good God. A mahogany boat with an Allison. Splinters would have been a good name for her. Used to see hydro races at Tahoe when I was a kid. Again in 61 while in the Army at Ft lewis. Lake Washington one weekend, then CorD'lane the next. Never forget that sound. WA-WA-WA-Grrrrowl.
